Salt block



Oct. 13, 1959 c. F.-AN|SER 'SALT BLOCK Filed Jan. 3, 1957 F1G.l.

' INVENTOR CHARLES AM 15212 United States Patent SALT BLOCK Charles F. Aniser, King City, Mo. Application January 3, 1957, Serial No. 632,344

1 Claim. (Cl. 11951) This invention relates to a salt feeder for cattle and has special reference to a conical salt block.

In the breeding and raising of cattle, a certain amount of salt is necessary to be absorbed with their other food. This salt is usually provided by placing in the feeding pasture one or more blocks of salt. Heretofore, such blocks have been shaped like large bricks with square edges and corners. Such blocks are either laid on the ground or are supported above ground on a stone or on a wood or cement post. The cattle lick the upper surface of such blocks, and in so doing, a depression is formed in the upper surface of such blocks. During rainfall, water collects in the depression and soaks into the block, softens it, and renders it easily friable, so that the block quickly breaks down into small pieces, thus causing loss of much salt.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel form of salt block, so shaped that the licking of the block by cattle will inhibit the formation of a water holding depression and ensure even Wear of the block.

A second important object of the invention is to provide a salt block of generally conical form, so that during rainfalls, rain striking the block will not accumulate anywhere on the block, but will quickly run off down the steeply inclined surface of the block.

A third object of the invention is to provide a novel combination of such a conical form of block with a novel form of support for the block.

With the above and other objects in view, as will be presently apparent, the invention consists in general of a novel form of salt block, and in novel supporting and packaging means for such a block as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly claimed.

In the drawings, like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the novel block and support.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of a packing case and showing salt blocks supported therein.

As shown in Figure 1, there is provided a conical block 1 of solid salt which has the apex of the cone somewhat truncated at 2 to permit a hole 3 to be formed axially through the block.

The support for this block consists of a ground engaging pipe section 4 which may be made of 1% inch gas pipe about four feet in length.

This gas pipe has a pin 5 extending transversely through the pipe about half way of its length. In the lower end of the hole 3 is fitted a pipe section 5 of sufiicient diameter to slip over the upper end of the pipe 4, and this pipe 5' has a base plate 6 at its lower end. Attached to the base plate 6 is a turntable 7 of slightly less diameter than the base of the cone 1, so that, after the support is assembled, the cone 1 may be lifted by ones fingers and slipped onto the support without the fingers being pinched between the salt block 1 and table 7.

Because of the frusto-conical form of these blocks, they may be stored directly one on the other in axial alignment, but, preferably, to avoid damage in shipping, such blocks are fitted in corrugated board containers, as shown at 8 in Figure 4.

There has thus been provided a highly eflicient means for supplying cattle with salt while in a pasture, and it is obvious that changes may be made in the form and proportions of the parts without departing from the principles involved, so that it is not wished to limit the invention to the exact form shown and described, but it is desired to include all forms which come within the scope claimed.

In Figure 3, the depression 8 shown on outline of salt bloc 1 is a cattle lick arrested by pipe section 5 which will prevent cattle from licking depressed cavities on upper portion of salt block 1, thus inhibiting the accumulation of water which rapidly disintegrates salt blocks currently used on farms and ranches. It must be understood that the term salt block can incorporate a variety of formulas or mixtures of common salt with other minerals or materials. The composition and hardness of the novel salt block can be varied to suit diiferent conditions and requirements without adversely effecting the protection afforded the block against the weather.

It is not necessary to have extreme hardness of the blocks making them impervious to water, therefore livestocks can readily obtain the amount of minerals necessary to satisfy their needs.

I claim:

The combination of a vertical supporting shaft, a circular turntable rotatably mounted on said shaft ina horizontal plane spaced downwardly from the upper end of the shaft, a tubular bushing connected to and extending upwardly from the center of said turntable and rotatable therewith on the upper end portion of said shaft, and a frusto-conical salt block having its major lower end seated on said turntable and provided with an open-ended axial bore receiving said bushing therein, the upper end of said bushing being flush with the minor upper end of said block and constituting means for limiting the inward extent to which the block may be licked to prevent formation of relatively large flat surfaces at the top of the block, the marginal edge portion of the lower end of said block projecting radially outwardly beyond the periphery of said turntable, whereby the same may be gripped with fingers when the block is installed or removed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,203,275 Beyea June 4, 1940 2,661,719 Scheidt Dec. 8, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 125,078 Australia Aug. 1, 1947 679,222 Great Britain Sept. 17, 1952 

